Ch 30: Striving for Independence: India, Africa, and Latin America, 1900-1949 Flashcards
What were some major economic stressors on India in the early 20th century?
- drought
- deforestation
- population increase
- decrease in the amount of land per family
What was the language of business in India?
English
Why did the Indian Civil Service limit the spread of technology in India?
tried to control modern technology to benefit Britain
“Colonial India was ruled by a viceroy and administered by the Indian Civil Service. The few thousand members of the Civil Service manipulated the introduction of technology into India to protect the Indian people from the dangers of industrialization, prevent the development of radical politics, and maximize the benefits to Britain and to themselves.” https://www.tesd.net/cms/lib/PA01001259/Centricity/Domain/290/CHAPTER%2030%20OUTLINE%20%20Striving%20for%20Independence.docx
What 2 religious groups had the most problems with one another?
Hindus and Muslims
In what year was the Indian National Congress founded?
1885
What was the All-Indian Muslim League and why was it founded?
organization to defend interests of Muslim minority
“Muslim League, political group that led the movement calling for a separate Muslim nation to be created at the time of the partition of British India (1947). The Muslim League was founded in 1906 to safeguard the rights of Indian Muslims. At first the league was encouraged by the British and was generally favourable to their rule, but the organization adopted self-government for India as its goal in 1913. For several decades the league and its leaders, notably Mohammed Ali Jinnah, called for Hindu-Muslim unity in a united and independent India. It was not until 1940 that the league called for the formation of a Muslim state that would be separate from the projected independent country of India. The league wanted a separate nation for India’s Muslims because it feared that an independent India would be dominated by Hindus.” https://www.britannica.com/topic/Muslim-League
Why did Indians support Britain enthusiastically during World War I?
thought loyalty would give independence
What happened at Amritsar?
The British fired upon a peaceful crowd, lead by Gandhi, protesting the, in their eyes, unnecessary extension of emergency wartime powers. It marked a turning point in Indo-British relations and the beginning of Gandhi’s full commitment to nationalism and independence.
“Jallianwala Bagh Massacre, incident on April 13, 1919, in which British troops fired on a large crowd of unarmed Indians in an open space known as the Jallianwala Bagh in Amritsar in the Punjab region (now in Punjab state) of India, killing several hundred people and wounding many hundreds more. It marked a turning point in India’s modern history, in that it left a permanent scar on Indo-British relations and was the prelude to Mohandas (Mahatma) Gandhi’s full commitment to the cause of Indian nationalism and independence from Britain.
During World War I (1914–18) the British government of India enacted a series of repressive emergency powers that were intended to combat subversive activities. By the war’s end, expectations were high among the Indian populace that those measures would be eased and that India would be given more political autonomy. The Montagu-Chelmsford Report, presented to the British Parliament in 1918, did in fact recommend limited local self-government. Instead, however, the government of India passed what became known as the Rowlatt Acts in early 1919, which essentially extended the repressive wartime measures.
The acts were met by widespread anger and discontent among Indians, notably in the Punjab region. Gandhi in early April called for a one-day general strike throughout the country. In Amritsar the news that prominent Indian leaders had been arrested and banished from that city sparked violent protests on April 10, in which soldiers fired upon civilians, buildings were looted and burned, and angry mobs killed several foreign nationals and severely beat a Christian missionary. A force of several dozen troops commanded by Brig. Gen. Reginald Edward Harry Dyer was given the task of restoring order. Among the measures taken was a ban on public gatherings.” https://www.britannica.com/event/Jallianwala-Bagh-Massacre
Who was known as the “great soul” by his followers?
Gandhi
What were Gandhi’s methods of achieving Indian independence?
peaceful protest/ civil disobedience
Describe and explain the significance of Gandhi’s “Walk to the Sea.”
walked with followers to sea and gathered salt to protest the salt monopoly
“Salt March, major nonviolent protest action in India led by Mahatma Gandhi in March–April 1930. The march was the first act in an even-larger campaign of civil disobedience (satyagraha) that Gandhi waged against British rule in India that extended into early 1931 and garnered Gandhi widespread support among the Indian populace and considerable worldwide attention.
Salt production and distribution in India had long been a lucrative monopoly of the British. Through a series of laws, the Indian populace was prohibited from producing or selling salt independently, and instead Indians were required to buy expensive, heavily taxed salt that often was imported. This affected the great majority of Indians, who could not afford to buy it. Indian protests against the salt tax began in the 19th century and remained a major contentious issue throughout the period of British rule of the subcontinent.” https://www.britannica.com/event/Salt-March
What does it mean to fast? How is this effective as a way to wage political protest?
no eating, protested British policy
“According to Gandhi, a hunger strike was in itself a spiritual practice of self-sacrifice. Furthermore, he considered it not just an act of ascetic self-mastery and imposition of suffering upon oneself, but also a patient education of the ‘other’, to steer them away from error and convert them by love. In Gandhi’s eyes, the sufferings of the satyagrahis would effectively demonstrate the righteousness of their cause, change public opinion, and inspire others to change themselves. However, to achieve this objective required steadfast adherence to one’s cause, courage, and a willingness to sacrifice, not to forget incredible patience. Fasting was deeply embedded in Gandhi’s everyday life, so much so that it is difficult to discern between its practice as a regime of the self from its purpose as an act of national significance. Although fasting was a key weapon employed by Gandhi during the Freedom Struggle Movement, it did not stir the conscience of many non-violent activists who were more fascinated with its strategic benefits rather than its spiritual, moral, and ethical nuances.
Between 1913 and 1948, Gandhi undertook at least 15 ‘significant’ fasts. He fasted in different places, from South Africa to various cities across India, to prisons and even at home. He fasted for innumerable causes: as penance for the immoral behaviour of his ashram inmates in South Africa; against violent protest actions of radical factions of the Independence Movement; to show solidarity with the ‘untouchables’ in opposition to the British constitutional proposal based on the separation of castes; for Hindu-Muslim unity, against communal riots; and other reasons. The duration of these fasts varied from three to four days up to even twenty-one days. In Gandhi’s eyes, fasting was a powerful tool for self-sacrifice and moral persuasion. By observing these fasts, he highlighted the sincerity and depth of his commitment to his cause. However, Gandhi’s fasts achieved mixed results. At times, he was able to secure concrete actions from other political players, such as the withdrawal of the British proposal for the separation of castes; other times he had to conclude his fast without any discernible result.” https://cmsadmin.amritmahotsav.nic.in/district-reopsitory-detail.htm
Why did the businessmen in India in roughly the 1920s to the early 1960s like Jawaharlal Nehru?
wanted to create modern industry
“In the 1920s, the British slowly and reluctantly began to give Indians control of areas such as education, the economy, and public works. High tariff barriers were erected behind which Indian entrepreneurs were able to undertake a degree of industrialization; this helped to create a class of wealthy Indian businesspeople who looked to Gandhi’s designated successor in the Indian National Congress—Jawaharlal Nehru (1889–1964)—for leadership.” https://www.tesd.net/cms/lib/PA01001259/Centricity/Domain/290/CHAPTER%2030%20OUTLINE%20%20Striving%20for%20Independence.docx
How did Gandhi respond to British offers of independence during WWII? What happened in Bengal?
- “Quit India” campaign- wanted independence now
“Quit India Movement, mass protest movement during 1942–43 against the colonial British raj’s political and military control of India. The movement, which took place against the backdrop of World War II, was initially planned by Mahatma Gandhi and his followers in the Indian National Congress (Congress Party) as a nonviolent action. However, attempts by the British authorities to prevent the protests by arresting the Congress leaders backfired and triggered an escalation of violence that, by the end of the turmoil, resulted in the deaths of at least 1,000 Indians, as well as the arrests of roughly 60,000 by the end of 1943. Though the movement was unsuccessful in its goal of forcing the immediate decolonization of India, it served as an important demonstration of anti-colonial sentiment in Indian society directed toward the British raj. Moreover, the desire of British authorities to avoid a repetition of the chaos caused by the Quit India Movement lent urgency to the decolonization of India in the postwar period.” https://www.britannica.com/event/Quit-India-Movement
- Bengal= divided without consulting the Indian people- separated Muslims from Hindus
“partition of Bengal, (1905), division of Bengal carried out by the British viceroy in India, Lord Curzon, despite strong Indian nationalist opposition. It began a transformation of the Indian National Congress from a middle-class pressure group into a nationwide mass movement.
Bengal, Bihar, and Orissa had formed a single province of British India since 1765. By 1900 the province had grown too large to handle under a single administration. East Bengal, because of isolation and poor communications, had been neglected in favour of west Bengal and Bihar. Curzon chose one of several schemes for partition: to unite Assam, which had been a part of the province until 1874, with 15 districts of east Bengal and thus form a new province with a population of 31 million. The capital was Dacca (now Dhaka, Bangl.), and the people were mainly Muslim.” https://www.britannica.com/event/Partition-of-Bengal
What was the solution accepted by both Hindus and Muslims regarding the problem of independence?
give each own territory- Partition of India and Pakistan
Why was there continued violence after Indian independence from Britain?
flows of refugees
“Partition and independence were accompanied by violence between Muslims and Hindus and by massive flows of refugees as Hindus left predominantly Muslim areas and Muslims left predominantly Hindu areas.” https://www.tesd.net/cms/lib/PA01001259/Centricity/Domain/290/CHAPTER%2030%20OUTLINE%20%20Striving%20for%20Independence.docx
